Monday's Child  Dystopia  Part Three  Home Time
by Pizza the Hut
Summary: The final part of Monday's Child - Dystopia.  Apparently stranded, ten thousand years in the future, Carol faces the probability of having to settle in to a new life.  However, this won't stop her from trying to get home.
1. Chapter 1

Monday's Child – Dystopia

Part Three - Dystopia

The concept of the Tomorrow People and the characters persisting from the original series are the intellectual property of Roger Damon Price.

Chapter 1

"What's going on here?" asked Richard, as the Tomorrow People, joined with Haleh, crowded round the telepathy table, hands touching.

"They're concentrating" said Janice.

"Looks like they're completely out of it" said Clive. "Are they okay?"

"They're fine" said Ed.

"Oh, you've seen them like this before, have you?" said Richard.

"Once or twice" said Ed, "though maybe not quite so out of it before."

"Richard, will you just please leave them? They need to concentrate" said Janice, nursing Dmitri, who was lying on a bed.

"Concentrate? What on? They don't look like they're doing much to me?" said Clive.

"They're trying to get in touch with Dmitri's friends, to let them know he's here" said Janice.

"How?" asked Richard.

"Mind reading" said Janice. "Just trust me on this one."

Just then, the telepathic circle was broken by John. "Well, that was a complete waste of time."

"Don't worry, Dror has to come back to take me home" said Haleh.

"It's not so much that as what to do about Dmitri" said Rachel. "How's the patient?"

"Hard to say" said Janice. "His temperature's raised and his pulse is very slow, but that might be normal for him."

"Poor kid" said Clive. "His parents must be worried sick about him."

"They'll probably never know he's been missing" said Haleh. "They'll just drop him off when he set off." Haleh walked around the Lab, looking up at TIM. "I've been thinking, your friend, Dr Pargeter, communicated using the biotronic in my time and this biotronic."

"Dr Pargeter?" asked Anthony.

"Carol" replied Haleh.

John looked despondent. "It can't be the same Carol. Her name isn't Pargeter" said John.

"But Grandma's maiden name was" said Richard. "She could be using Grandma's maiden name for some reason."

"Then it could be Carol?" asked Rachel hopefully.

"It sounds like a racing cert" said John. "Too much of a coincidence."

"Then it must be the same soul core" said Haleh.

"Soul core?" asked Ed.

"Think of it as a biotronic processor" said John.

"If these messages are from Dr Pargeter – Carol" said Haleh, "then it looks like she's been able to prove Redman's Hypothesis."

"Redman's Hypothesis? What's that?" asked Rachel.

"About ten years ago – I mean ten years ago from my perspective, Dr Robert Redman theorised that it would be possible to set up a temporal standing wave within the soul core a of a biotronic computer, which could be used to carry very basic communication patterns through time to earlier versions of itself" said Haleh. "So far, nobody's been able to prove it, because soul cores have been obsolete for about two hundred years. Nobody has one . . . except for the one I found last year."

"And what did you do with it?" asked John.

"I loaned it to Dr Pargeter. She said she was trying to get an old biotronic – little more than a fossil really - back in working order. The thing is, if she's using it to communicate with you in this time, then it must be the same soul core as in this biotronic" said Haleh.

"And where did you find this soul core?" asked John.

"Home" said Haleh. "Well to be exact, at an excavation site just outside Victoria."

"On Vancouver Island?" asked Anthony.

"On Vancouver Island" replied Haleh.

"Okay," said John "we have to make a pact amongst ourselves. I know it's not a very pleasant thing to think about, but even if there's only one of us left around when the time comes, we must make sure that when TIM reaches the end of his useful life, we personally see to it that his soul core is buried on Vancouver Island so that Haleh can find it. It's the only way we can ensure that Carol can get in touch with us."

"So don't you think you should jaunt over there now so Haleh can actually show you where she found it?" suggested Ed.

"It might not look the same in your time" said Haleh.

"It's the only chance we have" said John. "But not right now. We can't possibly jaunt without TIM on line."

Just then, Dmitri began to come round.

"Okay, dear" said Janice comforting. "Take it easy.

Dmitri looked dazed. "Janice?" he said.

"You remember me?" asked Janice. "That's got to be a good sign. How do you feel?"

"Dizzy" said Dmitri, "but I should feel better soon."

"Thought you said your name was James" said Rachel.

"James?" said Dmitri. "I've been calling myself James? That's my middle name."

"Like Rosita" said Anthony. Janice shot Anthony a deathly stare.

"Dmitri, we might need your help" said John. "One of our friends is trapped in the future. She's managed to get a message to us."

"The future's a big place" said Dmitri. "How did she do that?"

"She used the biotronic" said Haleh.

"She proved the Redman Hypothesis?" asked Dmitri.

"Yes" said Haleh.

"So she must have got an old biotronic working" said Dmitri.

"Yes" said Haleh. "We met in my time. Your friends Dror and Susia were here earlier. Two of these people have gone with Susia back to my time to bring her back."

"To your time?" asked Dror. "I'm working with amateurs!" said Dmitri getting up.

"What's wrong?" asked Haleh.

"You know artefacts like early biotronics are expensive in your time, don't you?" said Dmitri.

"Yes, I know that" said Haleh, feeling she was being told off.

"Think it through" said Dmitri. "How long would it take to save if you wanted to buy an ancient biotronic with a soul core?"

"Five, maybe ten years" said Haleh.

"Well you could do it in five if all you ever ate was sandwiches" said Dmitri. "I take it your friend has a job?"

"Yes" said Haleh. "A very good job"

"So we're looking at five years then" said Dmitri. "And Susia has gone to meet up with your friend after she's been in that time zone for five years? Wouldn't it have been better to bring her back shortly after she arrived?"

Dmitri approached Haleh and placed his right hand on her forhead. Haleh began to tremble.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing! Leave her alone!" protested Anthony. Dmitri removed his hand, and Haleh recoiled slightly.

"I needed to have a sense of where she had come from. Now I only have to subtract a few years – we'll start with ten. Once we have found your friend, we will have to find Susia and bring your other friends back."


	2. Chapter 2

Monday's Child – Dystopia

Part Three - Dystopia

Chapter 2

Carol woke up and looked around. She did not know this place. Very unfamiliar green walls which seemed to be padded. She tried to get up but felt suddenly dizzy. A man, around forty, stood in the corner.

"It's okay Carol, you're safe now. You'll be all right" said the man.

"Who are you?" she asked "Where am I and how did I get here?"

"My name is Diego" said the man. "I'm a doctor assigned to your case."

"Case? My case?" asked Carol. "I don't understand."

*John? Elizabeth?* she tried to 'path without success.

"You won't be able to contact anybody that way" said Diego. This room is filled with a psionic damping field."

"You know I'm telepathic?" said Carol.

"Most people are" said Diego.

"Not where I come from" said Carol, swinging her legs round to sit up on the bed. She suddenly caught sight of herself in the mirror on the far wall. "Oh my God! What's happened to me? My hair!" She struggled to her feet and forced herself to walk to the mirror.

"You're not ready for walking" said Diego, joining her at the mirror. Carol looked at her reflection. Where her long blonde hair had been was now covered with a very short layer of stubble. She felt her head in disbelief. "You were in a very sorry state when those boys found you. If it weren't for that suit you had on, most of your internal organs may have been beyond repair."

"What boys? What happened to me?" asked Carol, becoming more agitated.

"Two local boys were ice diving on Ullswater. They found you under the ice. By our estimations, you must have been under there for about three weeks" said Diego.

"Three weeks? How did I survive that?" asked Carol.

"Oh, but you didn't" said Diego. "Dead on arrival."

"What! Wait! No! You're confusing me" said Carol. "What are you saying?"

"You arrived here, mainly with extensive cranial traumas. We spent two weeks remoulding your skull – that's why we had to shave your head – and you've spent the last week in this recovery suite" said Diego.

Carol looked straight at Diego. "Am . . . I . . . dead?" she asked.

"No, of course not. Not now anyway" said Diego.

"What do you mean, not now?" asked Carol.

"We specialise in reanimation here" said Diego.

"You mean I'm some sort of zombie?" asked Carol.

"No, just a simple routine procedure. We're just in the process of reasserting your personality traits at the moment" said Diego. "You're going to experience some very wild mood swings. That's why you're in this room. Padded walls so you don't hurt yourself and the damping field so you don't teleport off before we're ready to discharge you."

"So I was dead, but now I'm alive?" asked Carol.

"If you like to think of it that way" said Diego.

"And where exactly is here?" asked Carol.

"The New Republic Hospital, just outside Brampton" said Diego.

"Brampton? But that's near Hadrian's Wall! What am I doing so far north?" said Carol.

"Hadrian's Wall?" asked Diego. "That was removed over five hundred years ago!"

"No it wasn't" argued Carol. "It's been there for a couple of thousand years, if I understand my old Roman history correctly."

Diego looked at Carol for a moment, then asked his killer question. "Carol" he began, "are you a time traveller?"

"Time traveller?" said Carol "Me? No! Well I sort of time travelled once, but I don't think that counted, because it all happened in hyperspace. I got abducted, you see and . . . wait a minute! You said most people are telepathic, that Hadrian's Wall hasn't been around for five hundred years, and . . . oh my God! I'm in the future, aren't I?"

"Carol, just calm down and tell me what century you thought you were living in" said Diego.

"Well, the Twenty-First" said Carol.

"You're actually off the mark by about ten thousand years! "said Diego.

"Ten thousand!" exclaimed Carol. "How do I get back? Tell me?"

"I can't answer that" said Diego. "How did you get here?"

"I'm not sure" said Carol. "I was with my friends. I think my sister was there too, can't remember. My nephew was there, I remember him being there. I was about to jaunt – I mean teleport – back to the Galactic Trig, when there was what felt like an explosion. Knocked me off my feet. That's all I remember."

"So you have no idea how you got here?" asked Diego.

"None" said Carol.

"Maybe they'll go easy on you then" said Diego.

"Who will?" asked Carol.

"The Courts of course. You obviously don't have a licence for time travel?" said Diego.

"Licence?" asked Carol.

"Silly question" said Diego. "Time travel is very tightly regulated. Without a licence, they'll throw the book at you."

"Then I'm screwed" said Carol.

"If you can convince them that your appearance here was part of an unavoidable accident, they may show some lenience" said Diego.

"Oh! I could go to prison!" said Carol.

"Don't be so pessimistic" said Diego.

"I'll have to get back to my own time" said Carol.

"That'd just compound things" said Diego. "If you were caught – and they would catch you – it'd be viewed as a deliberate act."

"Oh, Diego, what am I to do?" sobbed Carol.

"If you can convince the Courts that you are only here by accident, your best option would be to try and make a life for yourself in this time" said Diego, "and for goodness sake, toe the line."

Carol regained some of her composure and looked at herself in the mirror. She examined what was left off her hair. "I suppose it'll grow back before long, won't it? I could always wear a hat. Do people still wear hats?" she said.

"Yes, people still wear hats" replied Diego.

" My brother always said hats made me look like Paddington Bear. I could go for a new look – sort of elfin." She caught sight of her nose. "Oh what have you people done with my nose?"

"Is it wrong" asked Diego.

"It's different, not necessarily wrong. It was a different shape" said Carol, pressing a finger on the end of her nose.

"Just tell us how it should be and we'll correct it" said Diego.

"No, it's fine as it is" said Carol. She looked into the mirror, as if to look beyond it. "There's someone on the other side of that mirror, isn't there?"

"Yes" said Diego.

"So I'm under observation, like some circus freak" said Carol, walking back to her bed. "Look! I can walk!"

"Well on the way to recovery now" said Diego, sitting next to Carol on the bed.

Carol began to grin, then chuckle, which became one big uncontrollable laugh.

"What's tickled you?" asked Diego.

"I haven't a clue" said Carol through the laughter. "I just started to think about . . ." but her words became lost in the laughter as she rolled around on the bed.

"Reassertion" said Diego. "It won't be long now. You'll experience a whole catalogue of extreme emotions. Just let it come."

Carol managed to pull herself up to sit up and face Diego, tears of laughter streaming down her face, still laughing uncontrollably. She flung her arms around Diego's neck and buried her face into his shoulder. The laughter stopped. She lifted her head slightly and looked into his eyes before suddenly kissing him fully on the lips. He pulled away.

"Carol, please!" said Diego.

"Don't you think I'm attractive?" asked Carol.

"Of course you're attractive" said Diego nervously, "but please realise I have to maintain a professional distance."

"Well I think you're attractive," Said Carol, leaning in to Diego, with one hand on his chest. "In fact, I fancy the pants off you!"

"Carol, please, you're not yourself! It's the reassertion that's making you do this! Please control yourself!" said Diego, but it was too late. Carol pinned him flat onto the bed before straddling him and finally kissing him again passionately full on the mouth, tearing at his shirt. Diego struggled, and managed to fight Carol off.

"Don't you want me?" said Carol. "Because I certainly want you!"

"No, Carol. You don't know your own mind" said Diego. Try to fight it."

Carol pushed Diego onto the floor and straddled him again. Still sitting astride Diego, her demeanour started to change. At first she seemed calm. At last, Diego thought, Carol was becoming more rational. Then she spoke.

"You bastard!" said Carol, almost spitting the words through her teeth.

"Sorry?" said Diego.

"You heard, you bastard!" said Carol, beating Diego's chest with her fists. Diego grabbed her wrists to control her fists, and lifted her to her feet.

"It's all right, Carol" said Diego. It's just the reassertion. You'll be okay soon enough.

"Don't you dare patronise me! " yelled Carol.

And then she punched him. A left hook that caught him just below the right eye, knocking him squarely on his backside. He got up and tried to hold Carol off, but she was too strong for him. Another left hook, this time to the jaw followed by a kick to the groin. Diego bent double in agony as Carol followed through with a kick to the side of the head leaving Diego in a heap on the floor. Carol began to kick Diego in the ribs. Once she began to kick him, she couldn't stop. Each kick was followed by another until she suddenly felt herself being lifted off her feet by two tall men who carried her to the bed. Her demeanour began to change again, and as she looked over at Diego lying on the floor with his shirt covered in his own blood, she began to sob uncontrollably.

"It's all right Carol" said one of the men.

"Look what I've done to him!" said Carol. "I shouldn't be able to do that! What's wrong with me?"

"He'll be fine in half an hour or so" said the man as his colleague went over to tend to Diego.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Carol had been living on probation for six months, and the day had finally come for her hearing. Today, the court would decide whether she should go to prison, be allowed to settle in these future times, or as she had hoped, be taken back to her own time. She was sitting in the waiting room of the court, halfway through a plastic cup of instant coffee. Suddenly, the cup was taken out of her hand.

"Okay Carol, they're ready for us now" said Diego. Diego had proven to be a solid friend to Carol since her days at the hospital, and now had agreed to lend her his support at the hearing. They walked down to a reception desk, where they were instructed to sit in another waiting area.

"The old waiting game" said Carol. "Some things never change." She looked round at her surroundings. Formal grey walls, people bustling by anonymously. "I can't hear any thoughts" she said to Diego.

"You won't. Not in here" replied Diego. "It's a court, remember. Psionic damping fields all over the place."

Carol thought for a minute. It occurred to her that, if things went the way she wanted and she was returned to her own time, or things turned for the worst and she was sent to prison, this could be the last time she ever saw Diego. She decided that today would be a good day to unburden herself.

"Remember when we first met?" said Carol. "During my reassertion therapy?"

"Do I ever" said Diego.

"I wasn't really myself. You know that don't you" said Carol.

"I know that" said Diego. "I must have seen a hundred people through reassertion. Every one the same."

"Well I know I said and did a few things I didn't really mean" said Carol.

"So you don't fancy the pants off me?" said Diego, joking.

"That's for me to know" said Carol. "Anyway, you know what I mean."

"Okay, so you _do_ fancy the pants off me!" said Diego, trying to lighten Carol's mood.

"Diego! I'm trying to be serious here!" said Carol. "All I'm saying is that I wasn't myself, and I want to apologise for anything that I might have said or done to hurt or embarrass you." Diego looked at Carol and grinned. "For goodness sake, Diego! We nearly had sex with each other!"

"No, no, Carol" said Diego. "There was never any danger of that. I'm a professional, remember. I know my place and I'd have maintained professional stance regardless. In any case, it's not that easy knowing there are fifteen people watching behind a one-way mirror!"

"Diego really!" exclaimed Carol, almost forgetting the gravity of her situation. "Anyway, your wife would've killed us both if she'd found out!"

Diego looked at Carol, puzzled. "Louise can't kill anyone. You know that" said Diego.

"It's just an expression" said Carol.

"Funny expression" said Diego. "I've never heard it before."

"You should get out more" replied Carol. "Seriously, though, I just wanted to apologise."

"Think nothing of it. It's part of the job. I've been through exactly the same thing with dozens of people going through exactly the same experience as you" said Diego. " I've had my fair share of beatings."

"That's something else I have to apologise for" said Carol.

"Broken nose, busted spleen, detached retina. I've lost count of the number of teeth I've lost" said Diego.

"Please! Don't you think I feel guilty enough!" said Carol.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Carol nervously followed Diego into the small office at the end of the corridor. Seated at a desk, viewing documents on a screen that seemed to float in mid air, was the judge, Mr Justice Firmin Lakonda, a tall, Congolese in his early sixties.

"Please, sit down" said the judge as he got to his feet. His voice was warm and friendly. Carol and Diego sat. "Now, as I understand it, you arrived here as a result of unauthorised, unlicensed time travel, is that correct?"

"Yes, Mr Lakonda, that's correct, but" said Carol before being interrupted.

"Please. Call me Firmin. We don't stand on ceremony, do we Dr Brickhill?" said the judge.

"Correct, Firmin" said Diego.

"Oh I nearly forgot my manners" said Firmin. "Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"Tea for me please" said Carol. "No sugar."

"I'm fine thanks" said Diego.

"Jada, cup of tea for the lady, no sugar" said Firmin to the biotronic computer on the ceiling.

"Certainly, Firmin" replied the computer, Jada, in a soft feminine voice. As a cup of tea appeared on the desk. Carol took the cup and sipped.

"Sorry for interrupting, my dear, please go on" said Firmin.

Carol related the tale of her arrival in this time period, supported with medical evidence from Diego regarding her physical condition when she was found by the two boys. She pleaded with the judge to see that the circumstances of her arrival were entirely accidental, without her knowledge and none of her doing, and expressed her desire to return to her own time period.

"And you've never experienced time travel before?" asked Firmin.

"No, not exactly" said Carol. "Although, I was abducted by a time traveller from my future once, and he took me back to his time. But I don't see how that'd count really. We never moved out of hyperspace."

The judge thought for a moment. "You were abducted and taken into your future?" asked Firmin.

"Yes, but against my will" said Carol.

"Then, somehow by accident, you were projected thousands of years into your future, also against your will?" asked Firmin.

"Yes" said Carol.

"It would seem, Carol, that you have been an extremely unfortunate young lady" said Firmin.

Carol began to sense that things were not going her way.

"I know it sounds incredible" said Carol, "but you have to believe me. We didn't have time travel technology in my day, you see. There's no way I could have done it without someone else's interference!" Carol noticed that Firmin had become perfectly still. "Firmin? Are you all right? Mr Lakonda?" Firmin did not move. She turned to Diego. Similarly, he was perfectly still.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice.

"Carol! Over here!" It was John calling from a spot near the door. He had suddenly appeared.

"John! How did you get here?" asked Carol.

"I had a little help from a friend" said John, as Dmitri appeared. "This is Dmitri, and he's going to get you home, after we've located Liz and Helen."

"Where are they?" asked Carol.

"That's more a question of when are they" said Dmitri.

"They went off in search of you with one of Dmitri's friends, but we think they may have overshot by a bit" said John.

"Can I ask you to hurry yourself, please" said Dmitri. "I've been unwell and I'm beginning to tire."

"Okay" said Carol. "One thing before we go." She walked over to the seated frozen figure of Diego, and kissed him on the cheek. "This man is a total sweetheart."

The three of them entered Dmitri's sandbox and disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Carol nervously followed Diego into the small office at the end of the corridor. Seated at a desk, viewing documents on a screen that seemed to float in mid air, was the judge, Mr Justice Firmin Lakonda, a tall, Congolese in his early sixties.

"Please, sit down" said the judge as he got to his feet. His voice was warm and friendly. Carol and Diego sat. "Now, as I understand it, you arrived here as a result of unauthorised, unlicensed time travel, is that correct?"

"Yes, Mr Lakonda, that's correct, but" said Carol before being interrupted.

"Please. Call me Firmin. We don't stand on ceremony, do we Dr Brickhill?" said the judge.

"Correct, Firmin" said Diego.

"Oh I nearly forgot my manners" said Firmin. "Would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"Tea for me please" said Carol. "No sugar."

"I'm fine thanks" said Diego.

"Jada, cup of tea for the lady, no sugar" said Firmin to the biotronic computer on the ceiling.

"Certainly, Firmin" replied the computer, Jada, in a soft feminine voice. As a cup of tea appeared on the desk. Carol took the cup and sipped.

"Sorry for interrupting, my dear, please go on" said Firmin.

Carol related the tale of her arrival in this time period, supported with medical evidence from Diego regarding her physical condition when she was found by the two boys. She pleaded with the judge to see that the circumstances of her arrival were entirely accidental, without her knowledge and none of her doing, and expressed her desire to return to her own time period.

"And you've never experienced time travel before?" asked Firmin.

"No, not exactly" said Carol. "Although, I was abducted by a time traveller from my future once, and he took me back to his time. But I don't see how that'd count really. We never moved out of hyperspace."

The judge thought for a moment. "You were abducted and taken into your future?" asked Firmin.

"Yes, against my will" said Carol.

"Then, somehow by accident, you were projected thousands of years into your future, also against your will?" asked Firmin.

"Yes" said Carol.

"It would seem, Carol, that you have been an extremely unfortunate young lady" said Firmin.

Carol began to sense that things were not going her way.

"I know it sounds incredible" said Carol, "but you have to believe me. We didn't have time travel technology in my day, you see. There's no way I could have done it without someone else's interference!" Carol noticed that Firmin had become perfectly still. "Firmin? Are you all right? Mr Lakonda?" Firmin did not move. She turned to Diego. Similarly, he was perfectly still.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice.

"Carol! Over here!" It was John calling from a spot near the door. He had suddenly appeared.

"John! How did you get here?" asked Carol.

"I had a little help from a friend" said John, as Dmitri appeared. "This is Dmitri, and he's going to get you home, after we've located Liz and Helen."

"Where are they?" asked Carol.

"That's more a question of when are they" said Dmitri.

"They went off in search of you with one of Dmitri's friends, but we think they may have overshot by a bit" said John.

"Can I ask you to hurry yourself, please" said Dmitri. "I've been unwell and I'm beginning to tire."

"I can't" said Carol.

"Can't" said John. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It wouldn't be right" said Carol.

"But they'll throw you in prison" said Dmitri. "I know what they were like in this time."

"It wouldn't be honest" said Carol. "Besides, how could the judge find me guilty? I want to clear my name properly."

"Are you mad?" said John. "Get over here now!"

"No, I've got to do things properly. Besides, Diego said I'd be on the run for the rest of my life" said Carol.

"Nobody ever time travelled to the 21st Century" said Dmitri. "Far too dangerous."

"No, I've got to do this with a clear conscience" said Carol. "Leave me here. I'm sure I'll be cleared."

"John, I'm not feeling well" said Dmitri. "Can we go now please, or we'll all get stuck here."

"Okay" said John. "If you're absolutely sure?"

"Positive" said Carol as she hugged John. "I'll see you in the future, or is it the past."

John and Dmitri disappeared as quickly as they had appeared.

Suddenly, Firmin and Diego had regained their animation.

"I feel I have to decide in your favour, Carol" said Firmin.

"Oh thank you!" said Carol" Thank you so much!"

"It would be wrong to find you guilty of temporal transgression and pass a custodial sentence on you" said Firmin.

"This is good news!" said Carol. "So when can I go back to my own time?"

"Hang on" said Firmin, "Don't raise your hopes. Aside from administering the Law, we also have to abide by it. Unfortunately, we are prohibited from travelling to any point earlier than the 22nd Century, which means we cannot return you to your own time."

"You mean, you can't make exceptions?" asked Carol, disappointed.

"No exceptions" said Firmin. "However, we can, if you wish, take you to the 22nd Century."

"That'd be worse than being stuck here!" said Carol in desperation.

"At least you've got friends here now" said Diego. "Maybe your best option would be to stay put and make the best of it."

"What would I do here?" asked Carol.

"Well I don't know" said Diego. "I suppose you could get a job at a museum, with your knowledge of ancient history,"

"I was no good at history at school. I hated it!" said Carol.

"No, Carol, you don't get it, do you" said Diego. "What's ancient history to us is current affairs to you – well, relatively speaking."

Carol thought about it for a moment. "Okay, if it's the only option, I'll consider it" she said. "But mark my words, I fully intend to get back to my home time!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Carol jaunted home after a particularly frustrating day at the museum.

"Good evening, Carol. I trust you had a productive day?" asked Goff, Carol's personal domestic biotronic computer.

"I've known worse" said Carol. "I must get out of this job."

"Do I detect a hint of dissatisfaction?" asked Goff.

"I just feel . . . well, out of sorts I suppose" said Carol, going to the kitchen to prepare herself a fruit drink. "What's for dinner?"

"Carbonara" said Goff, as Carol returned to the lounge area and sat in her favourite chair. She thought about this for a minute. Plastic food made by synthetic nursemaids. No, after a day like this, Carol was in the mood for something a bit more real.

"Would you mind if we didn't, Goff. I want to see if a better offer materialises" said Carol.

"Another time?" said Goff.

"Another time" said Carol.

*Alan, are you busy?* 'pathed Carol.

*Not particularly. Why?* came the response.

*Nothing you can't drop right now?* 'pathed Carol.

*Not a thing* 'pathed Alan.

*Carmine, I know it's short notice, but do you have a table for two available?* 'pathed Carol to a third party.

*When for?* asked Carmine.

*Right now* 'pathed Carol.

*It's a little difficult at such notice* 'pathed Carmine before being interrupted by Carol.

*The name's Pargeter. That's Doctor Carol Pargeter* 'pathed Carol.

*Consider it booked* 'pathed Carmine.

*Alan, I've booked a table at Ottolini's. I hope you like authentic Italian* 'pathed Carol. There was a momentary pause.

*I'm there already* 'pathed Alan.

"I'll be eating out tonight, Goff. I shouldn't be more than a couple of hours" said Carol.

"Just let me know when you're on your way back and I will set the environmental controls for you" said Goff.

"Thank you Goff" said Carol. "How would I ever manage without you?" Carol suddenly caught sight of herself in the mirror and realised she was still wearing her work suit. "Oh, no, no, that'll never do. Goff, can you show me something a little less formal please? But not too flashy. I know what Alan's like. I don't want to give him the wrong idea."

In the middle of the room, holographic images of various combinations of garments appeared, only to be dismissed by Carol, until she saw the combination she approved of and stopped Goff. She stood up and walked through the image to find herself clothed in her selection.

"I'll be back in a couple of hours" said Carol as she jaunted away.

Carol materialised in the foyer of Ottolini's Italian restaurant to see Alan waiting at the booking desk with Carmine, the manager.

"What kept you?" asked Alan. "I've been waiting here five whole minutes!"

"I'm sorry Alan. Something came up" said Carol.

"You're like the dog's tail. Always behind" said Alan as Guido, the head waiter, escorted them to a vacant table. Carol mused on Alan's comment, and thought about old times.

As they sat through their meal, they discussed their working day, their frustrations and their hopes for the future.

"Alan, I'm thinking about a side project you might be interested in getting involved in" said Carol.

"In what way?" asked Alan.

"The biotronic at the Museum. I mean, I know it's an old relic, but wouldn't it be something if we could get it up and running?" said Carol enthusiastically.

"Shouldn't be too difficult in theory" said Alan "but it's very old technology. The parts, you know."

"That's why I'm asking you. I mean if you want something done properly, you get the best, don't you?" said Carol.

"You'd never get the funding" said Alan.

"I don't need it. I've been saving up. Besides, my name opens doors" said Carol. "I mean, who knows more about the Twentieth Century and early telepaths than me?"

"How did you do that? That amount of money? It's practically impossible" said Alan

"I've been canny" said Carol.

"I'd need Haleh on board" said Alan.

"Ask her. I'm sure she'd say yes. But keep the numbers to a minimum. This has to be strictly top hush" said Carol.

"No, it'd never work. We'd need a soul core for one of those early models. It's mission impossible. We'll never get a soul core" said Alan.

"Haleh has one. I'm sure she'd loan it to me" said Carol.

"Where did she get one of those?" asked Alan.

"That excavation in Canada – I mean Vancouver Island last year" said Carol. "Shall we contact Haleh?" Carol placed her hands on the table, palms down. Alan did likewise so that their fingertips were touching.

*Haleh? How would you like to get involved with a unique computer project* 'pathed Alan.

*Hi Alan, what is it then? Something new?* replied Haleh.

*No, quite the opposite. Something very old* 'pathed Alan.

*Haleh, it's Carol Pargeter here. Let me explain* 'pathed Carol.

*Oh, hello Dr Pargeter* 'pathed Haleh.

*What I would like to do is to get the biotronic at the Southern Republic Museum up and running* 'pathed Carol.

*But it's little more than a collection of non-functioning parts* replied Haleh.

*Most of it's there. It wouldn't need much* 'pathed Carol.

*Those ancient machines used a soul core. You can't even make a new soul core these days* 'pathed Haleh.

*I was hoping you could help me there.* 'pathed Carol.

*You mean the one from the excavation? It must be thousands of years old. It can't possibly work* 'pathed Haleh.

*Those old soul cores never die and never break down, trust me* 'pathed Carol.

*Okay, I'm in. Contact me when you've got a plan of action* 'pathed Haleh.

*Thanks, Haleh* 'pathed Carol.

Carol looked up to see that Alan had moved his hands onto Carol's fingers.

"Alan, no!" said Carol. "I'm married."

"Thousands of years ago, perhaps. But you live in the here and now. Isn't it time you accepted it?" asked Alan.

"That's not fair. I didn't ask to be here, in this time. As far as I'm concerned, my husband is still waiting for me in the Twenty-First Century. And you're not to repeat that to anyone. You could land me in a lot of trouble. One of the conditions of my release" said Carol withdrawing her hands.

"Look, Carol, we're not getting any younger" said Alan. "I'm really sorry, but you have to face facts. Everyone you knew in the past is gone. You have to live for now." Carol considered this. Unknown to Alan, she was planning an escape. So far, all was theoretical, and based on conjectures outlined in a scientific journal she had recently read. Still, it gave her some hope. On the other hand, it was all very unlikely, and she was quite pessimistic about getting help since time travel had been made illegal without a tightly regulated and hard to come by licence. She looked across the table at Alan. They were great friends and colleagues, and although she was aware that Alan was smitten with her, all she found for him was a fondness. Nevertheless, his words struck home.

"They're not gone to me" said Carol. "They still live up here in my head. My friends, my family, especially my big daft brother. He used to do these conjuring tricks . . . magic tricks, know what I mean?" Alan just looked puzzled. "I suppose it's not the same these days. The things he did you could do with telekinesis and teleportation . . . but he did it all with clever trickery. Well, I miss my brother. I miss the noise of daily life. I miss the crowds. I miss Morecambe and Wise. I loved Eric and Ernie, especially Eric. Broke my heart when I came back to Earth and found they'd both died. All those things . . . all of them still alive in my mind." Carol paused for a moment and then spoke again. "Tell you what. Ask me again in a year's time, and whatever I say then I'll stick to. Even if I say I'll marry you I will. Just give me a year, that's all I ask." Of course, unknown to Alan, these were empty words from Carol, as she intended to make every effort to return to the past and leave him and this future world behind.

Alan accepted this, and changed the subject back to Carol's side project. "So why the secrecy?" he asked.

"I don't want the authorities to know too much about it. They'll only stop me" said Carol.

"What makes you think that?" asked Alan.

"I've been here in this time period for five years, and I know I've been watched every minute. I know, I know you're going to tell me it's paranoia, but you have to trust me on this one. One of my conditions of release is not to get involved in anything regarded as against the grain. You know I had to change my name? It's not really Pargeter. They made me do that as a way to control me" said Carol.

"What is it really?" asked Alan.

"I'm not allowed to tell you. One of the conditions" said Carol.

"It is Carol, isn't it? It isn't anything clunky is it?" joked Alan.

"Yes it's definitely Carol. I think they thought that if they were to change my first name as well, it'd be harder for me to keep up the pretence. Of course it's all academic. If I were to marry you, I'd be Carol Owens, wouldn't I, and it'll all be for nothing." Carol mused for a minute. "Can you imagine how stupid they'd look if my real name were Owens?"

"Is it?" asked Alan.

"Is it what?" asked Carol.

"Your real name. Owens?" asked Alan.

"No" said Carol, just as the waiter arrived. "Do you realise I'm probably the only living person who's ever seen a tiger?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"We're still in the Lab" said Elizabeth. "Look, there's TIM, but who's that with Carol?" The image before them was frozen in time. Carol was dressed rather strangely to Elizabeth and Helen's eyes, in a dark blue overall made from a strangely unfamiliar fabric.

"Are we still in the Lab?" asked Helen?

Elizabeth looked round. She realised that they were not in fact in the Lab, but in a corner of a much bigger establishment, obviously a museum. "No, not the Lab. More like a recreation of the Lab – an exhibit. Susia, can we unfreeze the action, please. I'd like to hear what they're saying."

Susia made an almost imperceptible gesture, and the action unfolded.

"Alan, could you get me a drink please. My throat's rather dry" said Carol.

"There's a vending machine on the first floor. What would you like?" asked Alan, who was dressed in similar attire.

"Anything. Fruit juice" said Carol. Alan made his exit. As he went out of view, TIM spoke.

"If you are thirsty, Carol, I could have made you any drink of your choice" said TIM

"Yes I know that TIM, and thank you for thinking of me. I just needed to be alone for a few minutes" said Carol making adjustments to TIM's speech centres. "Have you managed to make contact?"

"It is difficult to ascertain from this position" said TIM as his voice modulated, "but my memory banks have records of a strange communication following your disappearance, which would suggest that contact was affirmative."

"That must be what happened" said Helen, "you know, the Morse Code."

"He must have been in contact with this version of himself" said Elizabeth. "Susia, can we talk to her?"

"By all means" said Susia. "All you have to do is to step outside of the sandbox. But remember to be careful. You cannot innately preserve the time continuum as we do. You have to remain vigilant."

The three of them emerged from the sandbox, and became visible to Carol. Carol looked at them for a moment in disbelief, and then rushed towards them, tears in her eyes, as she hugged and kissed them in excitement.

"Thank God, thank God it worked" she cried as she welcomed them into the museum. She turned to Susia. "Are you one of the new people? Dmitri's friends?"

"Yes" said Susia. "You know Dmitri?"

"I know of him. I think my sister knew him better" said Carol. "Don't worry, you'll find him. He's . . ." but Susia interrupted her.

"Please, Carol, no. You cannot tell me. The strict rules of time cannot be broken, even if it's for good intent" said Susia.

"Sorry" said Carol. "I was forgetting."

Introductions were made, and Carol explained how she came to be living in the thirteenth millennium, how she'd been thrown off course on her jaunt home, how she'd spent three weeks "dead" before being resuscitated in the hospital, and how she'd carved out a life for herself.

"You must have a lot of catching up to do" said Susia as she returned to the sandbox and became invisible to the others.

"Carol, you look fabulous. This life must be good for you" said Helen.

"Absolutely" agreed Elizabeth. "What happened to your nose?"

"Long story" said Carol.

"You look . . . stunning. I mean, you haven't even got a wrinkle!" said Elizabeth.

"Want to know my secret?" said Carol.

"Do we?" said Helen. "Just a bit!"

"Pay attention" said Carol, as she pushed her hair back and removed her earrings before handing them to Elizabeth. "Now follow my jaunt." With that she dematerialised, closely followed by Helen and Elizabeth.

When they materialised, they found themselves in a tree-lined park. People were either walking along the pathways or sitting on benches. All around them, others were materialising and dematerialising very casually.

"Where are we?" asked Helen.

"We're just outside the Lab, or should I say what was the Lab before it became part of the museum" said Carol.

"Our Lab?" asked Elizabeth. "I'm sure I've never been here before."

"The Lab site is a hundred feet below us" said Carol. She pointed to a building on the edge of a clearing. "That's the entrance over there. Anyway, to my secret. How long have we been out here for? A minute? Two minutes?"

"No longer than that" said Elizabeth.

"Okay" said Carol. "Take a look at my earrings." Elizabeth examined the pearl studs for a few seconds.

"Very nice, but not particularly special" said Elizabeth.

"Now look at my ears" said Carol, pushing her hair back and presenting firstly her right ear then her left ear for examination.

"They aren't pierced!" said Helen.

"But they were" said Carol. "How else would I be able to wear those studs?"

Elizabeth looked at Carol, puzzled. "How can your ears heal up so quickly?"

"Sniff" said Carol.

"What?" said Helen.

"Sniff. Tell me what you can smell" said Carol.

Helen and Elizabeth sniffed.

"No pollution" said Elizabeth.

"No pollution, correct. What else?" asked Carol.

"There's something else there" said Helen "but I can't quite put my finger on it."

Carol nodded. "It's called Panacea. It's a restorative the government put into the air and it cures all kinds of health problems. It rejuvenates too. My bum and boobs are better now than when I was twenty-two! And although I didn't like to admit it, when I came back to Earth after all those years, I'd had to start wearing specs for reading, but not any more."

"That's incredible!" said Helen. "Just think if we could have Panacea in our time!"

"Of course, it can't work miracles. It's not like a facelift. If you're born ugly, I'm afraid you'll stay that way, and people still get old and die" said Carol.

"It must cost a fortune" said Helen.

"Just a few Shillings per month per head" said Carol.

"Shillings?" said Elizabeth. "What decade are you from? And a minute ago you said the Lab was a hundred feet below. Feet, not metres!"

"Ssh!" said Carol hurriedly. "I don't think anyone heard you."

"Heard me? What do you mean?" asked Elizabeth.

"The 'M' word. It's not allowed" said Carol.

"You mean me. . . " said Elizabeth before Carol clamped her hand over Elizabeth's mouth.

Carol looked round edgily before continuing. "Not since the War" said Carol.

"War? What are you talking about?" asked Elizabeth. "How can there be war?"

"Long before living memory. About two hundred years ago" said Carol with a serious expression on her face. "The Ketteen Reivers. They came back."

"But I thought the Ketteen Reivers never made return journeys" said Helen.

"It's not just the Human Race that evolves" said Carol. "The Reivers evolved too. They came back and laid waste to about seventy percent of the population."

"Oh, that's terrible" said Elizabeth. "But didn't the Federation get involved?"

"If it weren't for the Federation, the thirty percent who survived would have been wiped out too" explained Carol. "And the War was the trigger for another evolutionary step for Humankind. The people I live amongst aren't the same as the Tomorrow People I knew in our time. They had to change. They had to become hardened. After decades of decimation, a new strain of _Homo superior_ emerged – one with a stronger survival instinct. Asylums were built, and the infected individuals were imprisoned there."

"You mean – they executed the sick?" asked Elizabeth, horrified.

"No, not executed" said Carol. "In spite of everything, the people are still incapable of killing. What they found they could do was to watch people die without lifting a finger."

"I don't think I could do that" said Helen. "Just watch people die. Surely something could have been done."

"That's why they evolved" said Carol. "If they hadn't have evolved – if they had been just like us – they'd have all died trying to find an alternative. At the end of the day, they did the only thing they could. They watched as their own kind died, and with them saw the extinction of the Ketteen Reivers."

"You mean genocide?" said Elizabeth. "Now I've heard everything!"

"Well, I don't feel qualified to comment, because I wasn't there" said Carol. "But one thing I am able to appreciate is that it was either the Human Race or the Reivers, and unless you're ever in that kind of situation, I don't think anyone could actually judge such actions. Anyway, that's why we went back to Imperial measures and currency . . . Shillings, Feet and Pounds and Ounces. It was the digital systems and base ten thinking that attracted the Reivers. Which leads us on to the Panacea."

"I suppose it was introduced to cure the sick?" asked Helen.

"No, not the sick. The infected were already dead. They couldn't be helped" explained Carol. "By the end of the War, Earth's population was unmanageably small. The scientific leaders, who led the attack on the Ketteen Reivers formed what can only be described as a dictatorial government, who immediately ordered an increase in childbirth to bring the population up to a manageable number. However, over half of the survivors were well over childbearing age, and despite the best efforts of those able to make an effort, population figures plummeted."

"How awful" said Helen.

"So, about fifty years ago, the Panacea was invented" said Carol. "Primarily, it was designed to make people fertile for longer."

"To delay 'the change'?" asked Elizabeth.

"That's one way of putting it" said Carol. "As well as that, or more likely because of it, people became more resistant to illness, physically fitter, and found their wounds healed themselves more quickly."

"Like your ears?" asked Helen.

"Just like my ears" said Carol. "The old average family consisting of 2.4 children has now become the average family of 8.4 children. Even at my age, I'm still fertile, and can expect to be so for at least another twenty years! And these people are much more forward than those we are used to seeing. You know how it is, when you see someone you fancy, but you can't pluck up the courage to make the first move, then the chance is gone?"

"Happy days" said Elizabeth.

"Not now. These days, they just steam in and establish a rapport in what seems like no time" said Carol. "I often sit out here at lunchtime with my sandwiches and watch people make relationships with each other that last a lifetime in no more than five minutes."

"The Panacea again?" asked Helen.

"Either that or the culture. I've never been entirely sure" replied Carol. "According to a survey, less than twenty percent of single people who never form a relationship actually want to be single. This society couldn't sustain itself with figures like that without the gene pool suffering. So maybe it's the Panacea or maybe it's the culture, I don't know."

"How has this affected you?" asked Elizabeth.

"Not at all. I'm not from this time, and although I've tried to fit in the best I can, I've never been affected like this. These people are more evolved than I am. And besides, I still have a husband" said Carol, displaying the betrothal tattoo on the palm of her right hand.

"So you don't intend to have 8.4 kids like everyone else?" asked Helen, jokingly.

"No, Helen, I intend to get out long before that becomes a consideration!" said Carol.

"Hey! That's strange!" said Elizabeth putting her hand up to her head.

"What?" said Helen.

"I feel dizzy" said Elizabeth.

"Come and sit down for a minute. Maybe you're not use to the Panacea" said Carol leading Elizabeth to a bench and helping her to sit down.

"It's gone!" exclaimed Elizabeth.

"What has? What's gone?" asked Carol.

"The ringing" said Elizabeth. "I developed tinnitus a couple of years ago. Oh my God it's gone!"

"The Panacea" said Carol.

"But it's been no more than a minute or two" said Elizabeth.

Carol exposed her right ear to Elizabeth. "Forgotten already?"

"Oh, of course" said Elizabeth.

"Don't forget my earrings" said Carol.

"No, I won't" said Elizabeth, handing back the earrings.

"Of course this means I'll have to go and get my ears pierced again tomorrow" said Carol.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Elizabeth, Carol and Helen returned to the Lab to find Alan and Haleh talking to Susia, who had stepped from the protection of her sandbox, and had engaged the two computer experts in conversation. Susia had always been friendly and gregarious, and had no fear of meeting new people, regardless of background.

"Good thing I brought a jug" said Alan, pouring fruit juice into the six glasses and offering the round on a tray.

"Have we been away long?" asked Carol taking one of the glasses.

"Just long enough for me to get to know this young lady. I felt a presence" said Alan.

"These are my friends Elizabeth and Helen" said Carol.

"Oh, from . . ." said Alan before being stopped by a telling look from Carol as a warning not to reveal too much in front of Haleh.

"And these are my colleagues Alan and Haleh" said Carol. The four of them shook hands and exchanged greetings.

*I see that you've got the vocal modulator tuned in" said Haleh. "Do you think it would be appropriate to imprint a new identity?"

"No, I think the present one will do for now" said Carol.

"I think I should be entitled to some input in such a decision" said TIM. The others laughed.

"I had no idea these early biotronics were so touchy" said Haleh. "Anyway I have to go now. I promised John a full report on our progress."

"John?" asked Carol.

"My boyfriend" said Haleh. "He's mad keen on technology."

"I knew someone called John too" said Carol. "I think he'd get on very well with your John."

"Nine tomorrow?" asked Haleh.

"Before you go, Haleh" said Elizabeth, "if you should meet a young man called Dror, please cooperate with him."

"Why's that?" asked Haleh.

"I'm sure that he'll explain when you meet him" said Helen.

"See you at nine" said Alan.

"Nine it is" said Haleh as she jaunted off.

"I think that young lady's going to be very useful to us" said Carol.

"More than you realise" said Elizabeth under her breath.

Alan turned to Carol. "I take it these people are from your past?"

"Err. Well, yes" said Carol, as if her plan had been uncovered.

"Well how can they be licensed? There was no time travel then was there?" said Alan seriously.

"They're travelling on my licence" said Susia, diffusing the situation.

"And what of the biotronic?" asked Alan. "Are you up to something? Are you going back to your past?"

"No of course not Alan" said Carol. "I've made my life here now. How can I go back?"

Alan looked at Carol and sighed. "I'd be lost without you, you know that don't you?"

"Yes I know" said Carol.

"I don't know what I'd do with myself" said Alan.

"Oh, Alan" said Carol, giving him a reassuring hug. "You're tired. You've worked hard today. Just go home. I'll still be here in the morning."

With that, Alan jaunted home.

"Is he sweet on you?" asked Helen.

"Of course he is" joked Elizabeth, sitting on a chair by the telepathy table.

"Nothing of the sort" said Carol. "Fond, maybe. Sweet, no."

"And what about you?" said Helen, joining Elizabeth on the telepathy table.

"Helen! I'm a married woman. I've got grown-up kids!" protested Carol.

"I detected something" said Susia. "A two way thing."

"Oh come on!" said Carol.

"You fancy Alan!" teased Elizabeth. Carol remained silent, not knowing how to reply.

"I detected an increase in your hear rate when you returned" said TIM.

Carol remained silent for a moment before finally commenting. "He has got a nice bum though, hasn't he?"

"Lovely bum" said Elizabeth "And so handsome too." They all laughed.

"Look, I need your help. I have to get back. Back to the 21st Century" said Carol.

"But what you said. Just now to Alan" said Helen.

"I don't really belong here" said Carol. "I got here by accident. I shouldn't be here."

"But it's so perfect here" said Helen.

"It's a sad and beautiful world. Okay, the quality of life may be better, but at a price. Everything's tightly controlled and regulated. And the people, they're just called people nowadays – not Tomorrow People – are so clever and ingenious, but they turn that intelligence to breaking those regulations. So many people in prison for minor infringements of the Law. And most significantly for breaking Time Laws" said Carol. "That's why I commissioned TIM's restoration. I read an article a few months ago about temporal telepathy – how it could be in theory at least that a telepath could communicate with his or her earlier self with the right kind of technology. The thing is, the human mind is too weak to be able to do that."

"But the mind of a biotronic computer isn't?" said Elizabeth.

"Exactly" said Carol. "I've been living a made-up existence here for five years. I suppose it's my punishment for deserting my family when I went to join the Galactic Trig, then lying to them when I returned. I miss my husband and my children. I miss Janice and Richard and their families. I miss Uncle Les and Auntie Pat. I miss Uncle Sandy and Auntie Viv. I miss the Tomorrow People. I miss seeing traffic in the streets, trains aeroplanes and the smell of burnt fossil fuels in the air. If I felt any more homesick I'd even miss Jedikiah! And worst of all, in this time, you and everybody I ever cared about, you're not just dead, you're forgotten. There's no record of your existence and no evidence of your remains. I can't even put flowers on your resting places because there aren't any – well none that anybody can identify."

Susia stepped forwards and took Carol's hand."Carol," said Susia, "we're here to take you back. But understand, you'll be five years older than you are meant to be. There's nothing anybody can do about that."

Suddenly, Dmitri appeared.

"Dmitri" said Susia "where have you been?"

"It's a long story" said Dmitri.

"You seem tired" said Susia. She held her hand up to his head. "I can sense a disorder. You need medication."

"I'll be alright" said Dmitri. "I've brought someone keen to meet Carol." John appeared.

"John! Oh John it's so good to see you! I never thought I'd see you again" said Carol emotionally as she wrapped her arms around John.

"Steady now girl" said John. "Not long now."

"I have one more surprise" said Dmitri. He stepped invisibly into his sandbox and led out his second visitor . . . Carol.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Susia looked Dmitri straight in the eye. "Dmitri! I don't know what your game is but . . . but that is just impossible!"

Helen looked at both Carols in amazement. "What happens now? Is this some sort of anomaly? Does this mean the Universe is going to fall in on itself?"

"Nothing so dramatic" said John. "You've been reading too much science fiction."

"Science fiction or not" said the older Carol, "this kind of thing is illegal. If the Police get to know about this, I'll be thrown in prison! John, how could you?"

"I just wanted to surprise you" said John.

"Well, you've certainly done that!" said the older Carol.

"Please don't blame John" said the younger Carol. "It's not his fault. I persuaded him. I just wanted to see how I would have settled in the future . . . if I hadn't have been rescued."

"But this is impossible" said Susia. "We can't create anomalies like this. It's our instinct not to." She walked up to Dmitri and placed her hand on his forehead. "It's your illness isn't it? What happened to you?"

"He got stranded in our time" said John. "Just like you said. Probably the same event that propelled Carol into the future."

"So what caused it?" asked Elizabeth.

"We think it might have been Lyndon's pendant. Something must have happened to it. Maybe it overloaded or something" said John.

"The andalus crystal" said the older Carol.

"An andalus crystal?" said Susia. "You used an andalus crystal? Are you mad?"

"They've been used by my husband's people for centuries to help with psychic difficulties" said the younger Carol. "What's the problem?"

"And where is this andalus crystal now?" asked Susia.

"I gave it to my nephew, but he lost it" said the younger Carol, defensively.

"He lost it? Look, Carol, both of you, these things were banned over fifty years before I was born, because in the wrong hands they can . . . oh I just can't imagine" said Susia excitedly. "And where is it now?"

"We don't know" said the younger Carol.

"You don't know?" said Susia angrily, before taking a seat at the telepathy table. She took the band out of her hair and ran her hands over her head, feeding her black hair through her fingers. "Now it may just be" she said slowly, "that if enough energy to deflect Dmitri and Carol so strongly has been expelled, that the crystal has been spent. Of course that would mean that the crystal would have had to be energised at the same time as something like a high energy jaunt."

"I was going back home when I got thrown forwards in time" said the younger Carol.

"That would probably be it" said Susia. "And Dmitri was travelling back to our time and – bang!" Susia punctuated this with a clap of her hands. "I think we can consider ourselves very lucky. In all probability, we won't need to look for it. It'll have been made totally harmless by the event. Did you have any others?"

"No" said the younger Carol. "I promised my nephew I'd get him a new one next time I returned."

"Then I'd advise you to break your promise" said Susia. "Find another way."

"Pity you didn't bring Lyndon with you. I'd have liked to have seen him again" said the older Carol. "The Panacea!"

"What of it?" asked Elizabeth.

"Don't you see? Half an hour in the park, and he'd be fully restored. No need for an andalus crystal. Susia, you must go back and bring Lyndon!" said Carol.

Susia shook her head. "I'm sorry Carol. Apart from the fact that my instincts won't allow me to, such infringements are strictly forbidden." Susia looked in Dmitri's direction. He had not recovered as well as anyone had thought. His pale complexion was even paler, and he began to rock from side to side and his eyes rolled upwards into his head. "Dmitri what's wrong? Help him someone!"

"Outside now!" said the older Carol. "The Park! The Panacea!" The older Carol rushed towards Dmitri and held him tightly in her arms. She looked towards Susia. "And when I return, you're taking me back to my own time, young lady." With these words, she jaunted away, still holding on to Dmitri.

"Well" said Carol as her other self disappeared, "I know they say that everybody has a double, but that was ridiculous!"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute. John was the first to speak.

"Meant to mention it. Like the hair" said John. "And the nose is a big improvement,"

John explained how Elizabeth and Rachel had come across Dmitri at the psychic research meeting.

"So what happens now?" asked Helen.

"I really don't know, Helen" said Susia. "Things are not right, and I don't know how to correct them. You've split Carol's reality into two and we can't leave things as they are, but anything we do may cause problems."

"What if we just take Carol – this Carol – back with us? I mean, she'll have lost six months, but in the grand scheme of things, that's nothing" said Helen.

"Doesn't anybody care what I think?" said Carol.

"Sorry, Carol. Go on" said John.

"Well, it's just that, if we allow things to take their own turn of events, I'll make a home for myself in the future – I mean our future, and it's an opportunity I'll never get otherwise" said Carol. "Look at what I – I mean the future Carol - has achieved in five years. I could carve a niche for myself and contribute to society. Oh, John, you've got to take me back five years. Let me live in these times, then you can come back for me! Take the other me back with you – that'll be me in five years!"

"Hold on a second" said Elizabeth. "You need to know something. Carol is depressed. I mean the future Carol."

"How do you know?" asked John. "I didn't detect anything."

"No I don't mean I detected anything telepathically. I mean I know what to look for. She's clinically depressed. We can't leave her here" said Elizabeth.

"John" said TIM, "the temporal disturbances caused by your arrival and presence have alerted the authorities. I'm afraid that official action is imminent and unavoidable."

"Yes, thanks for that TIM" said John. John approached Susia at the telepathy table and touched hands with her. A private telepathic communication flitted between them just as Carol reappeared with a fully restored Dmitri.

"Dmitri, how are you?" asked Susia embracing Dmitri.

"Never better" answered Dmitri. "Now let me see. Some of you people shouldn't be here."

"That's all in hand, isn't it Susia?" said John.

"Yes, that's right" said Susia. "I'm taking them back."

"John, Carol" said TIM, "the Police have traced unlicensed temporal activity to this building. It will now be no more than minutes before you are discovered."

"You'd better take us away now" said Dmitri to Susia. With a gesture, time slowed to a snail's pace before finally stopping for all occupants of the lab restoration. All, that is, except for the older Carol, who saw the group dematerialise into the air, only to be replaced by three policemen.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Elizabeth looked round from the jaunting pad. She observed the still tableau of Lyndon, Rachel and Ed sitting around the telepathy table. She was still within the sandbox cast by Susia. With a gesture, Susia released the sandbox lock, and the Lab came to life.

"Carol, you're back" said Ed, rising from his chair. "Like the short hair. Sexy!"

"Ed, you don't know the half of it" said Carol moving towards the three in greeting.

"Wait a minute" said Elizabeth. "Where's Carol?" Ed looked at Carol, then as if the answer were obvious, pointed at her. "No, not Carol. The other Carol." Ed looked at Elizabeth.

"Sorry about the missus, love. We'll obviously have to try her on some other tablets next time" said Ed.

"No, she's not here" said Carol.

"Who? Who's not here?" asked Rachel.

"Carol" said Carol, beginning to get agitated. "I mean the other Carol. My future self."

"Are you all right, Auntie Carol?" asked Lyndon, just as Janice teleported in behind the group on the jaunting pad. Carol caught sight of Janice peripherally and spun on her heels.

"Oh, it's you, Jan. For a moment I thought you were me" said Carol. Janice looked at Carol, then looked at the others, puzzled. Only John, Susia and Dmitri seemed to be in possession of the full facts.

"TIM, do you have any insight into what's going on here?" asked Rachel.

"Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of knowing the details of what we've just witnessed, only to say that we should be grateful that Carol has been returned to us safe and well" said TIM.

"But she hasn't" said Carol.

"Carol, are you losing your marbles?" said Ed.

"No, she's right" said Elizabeth. "She's not here."

Ed pointed directly at Carol. "Well, I beg to differ" he said.

Elizabeth turned to Susia. "This is your doing, isn't it? You left her behind!" she said.

"Don't blame Susia" said John. "I asked her to leave Carol behind."

"If you left Carol behind" said Ed, still pointing at Carol, "then who the bloody hell is this?"

"Carol" said John. "The one we left behind is five years out of phase. This one is only six months out."

"Would you mind not talking about me as if I weren't here!" protested Carol. Suddenly, the penny dropped. Carol looked directly at John, and approached him purposefully until she was face-to-face with him. "You mean to say to me that you left me behind?"

"Not you exactly" said John, "the other you."

"Oh John, how could you" said Helen.

"I thought we were friends, John" said Carol. "How long have we been friends? I can't believe you did this!"

"I told you. Carol was depressed. She needed our help." Said Elizabeth.

"So suddenly I'm the bad guy?" said John. "Help me out you two" he said to Dmitri and Susia.

By now, Ed, Janice, Rachel and Lyndon were completely confused.

"Let's see if we can clarify" said Susia, inviting everyone to calm down and sit. Susia explained how they had followed the time trail forwards to a point five years beyond where Carol had landed, and how Dmitri had taken Carol from Court to meet her future self.

"But I don't understand why we couldn't have brought the other Carol with us" said Helen.

"Carol wanted to come with us, John" said Elizabeth. "Now she's trapped in the future for keeps!"

"If I understand the mechanics of the situation correctly" said TIM, "by bringing this Carol back, John has ensured that the other Carol will not exist."

"That's it, in simple terms" said Dmitri, nodding his head. The others looked puzzled. "Look at it this way. This Carol is the same person as the Carol we saw in the future – five years ahead of this one – agreed?" The others took this in and made affirmative responses. "So providing this Carol never travels in time, she will never become the other Carol."

"And if we had brought the other Carol back with us, we'd have had to take this Carol back to the point in time in the future where Dmitri rescued her, and she'd have had to live for five years as her future self until we rescued her" said John.

"This is confusing" said Ed.

"And what happens to the other Carol?" asked Helen.

"I don't know" said Dmitri.

"But you're supposed to be the time expert" said Lyndon. "You must know."

"I don't know everything" said Dmitri. "Maybe she doesn't exist."

"But we met her" said Elizabeth.

"I get it" said Janice. "It's like another dimension."

"A Parallel universe" said Ed.

"Like in that film – Sliding Doors!" said Janice.

"Now you've lost me" said Susia.

"Oh yes" said Elizabeth. "I remember that film. An alternate version of events created by diversion of choice."

"Swallowed a dictionary?" said Ed. Elizabeth responded by sticking out her tongue.

"So could that be what happened?" asked Carol.

"Schrodinger's cat" said John.

"What?" said Lyndon.

"Schrodinger's cat" replied John. "A thought experiment. It's a long story, but to cut to the chase, if a cat were placed inside a box and either died as a consequence or survived, the cat would be both alive and dead at the same time until the box was opened, and the person opening the box would become entangled with the reality of whatever state the cat was in. If the cat survived, the person opening the box would become entangled with the living cat, and if it died, they would become entangled with the dead cat."

"So creating two alternatives" said Elizabeth.

"But Carol's not a dead cat" said Ed.

"But by bringing Carol back, we have become entangled with Carol not living in the far future" said John. "And if we were to take her back to where we found her, or not even attempted to bring her back . . ."

". . . We'd have become entangled in the reality of her not being here and the people she would know in the future would become entangled in the reality of her living then" said Rachel.

"The truth is we just don't know" said Dmitri.

"So nobody knows for sure?" said Carol. "It'd be nice to know there's another me out there somewhere."

"Or would there?" said Janice.

"John," said TIM, "before Haleh left, she gave me coordinates for you to follow at some point. She said you'd understand."

"Thanks TIM" said John. "Just hang on to them for me will you?"

Just then, a figure appeared. It was Bethany-Christine.

"They found you!" said Bethany-Christine to Dmitri. "How do you feel?"

"Fine" said Dmitri. "Perfect working order, in fact". With that, Dmitri and Susia faded from view, into their sandboxes and home.

Bethany-Christine turned to Lyndon. "Lyndon, I need some help from you. Can you come with me?"

"Sorry, I can't. I've got to meet my friends in ten minutes" said Lyndon.

"This won't take you more than a couple of hours" said Bethany-Christine.

"A couple of hours? I said I didn't even have ten minutes!" said Lyndon.

"I'll have you back in less than a minute" said Bethany-Christine.

"Oh!" said Lyndon realising. "The sandbox! Time travel!"

"Yes, the sandbox" said Bethany-Christine, taking Lyndon by the hand "but hurry up, we don't have much . . ." And with that they disappeared.

"I wonder when they're off" said John. He looked at Carol, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Penny for them?"

"How long have I been missing, TIM?" asked Carol.

"Twelve days" replied TIM.

"How appropriate. To me it was more like six months" said Carl. "You know, this means that I'm actually six month older than I should be. When my birthday comes around again, I'll actually be six months older. That's not right, is it?"

"Maybe you should have two birthdays, like the Queen" said Helen jokingly.

"That's not a bad idea" said Carol. "I could have a real birthday in January, then an extra one to mark my actual age six months later."

"So you'd just pick a date in July that took you fancy?" said Ed.

"We can do better than that" interjected TIM. "I have been able to calculate your true age by assessment of your mitochondrial DNA. By my calculations, you should be able to celebrate your alternative birthday on the Eleventh of July."

Carol still appeared lost in thought. "You okay?" asked Elizabeth.

"Just thinking" said Carol. "Thinking about the other me, trapped in the future. In a future where everything we know is gone and forgotten, makes me realise how lucky I am to know I can still reach you - all my friends. Makes me realise – well admit really – if I'm honest I realised it last time I was here – how much I miss you all."

"Well we miss you too" said John. "But don't wait for an invitation, you're always welcome."

"I now that, stupid" said Carol. "No, what I mean is that I miss being here on a permanent basis. That's why I've decided to move back here permanently. Well, maybe not permanently, but I've decided to come back."

"But what about your family back home?" asked Elizabeth.

"They'll cope. Anyway, it'll only be a short term thing. When Earth becomes an open world, they'll be able to come and live here with me permanently" said Carol.

"What if your husband doesn't want to come?" asked Helen.

Carol looked around, a mischievous smile developing on her face. "My dad always said never be without a Plan B."

"Plan B?" asked Rachel.

"If the worst comes to the worst, there's always Alan" said Carol with a laugh, to be joined by the others.

The laughter was broken by an announcement by TIM. "John, Richard is at the door."

"Okay TIM, let him in please" said John.

"Richard? My brother Richard?" said Carol. "You mean he knows?"

"It's all right" said Janice. "We had a chat and he's fine about everything, honest."

"Janice, you ought to know better. Richard can't be trusted with a secret" protested Carol.

By then the door had been opened and Richard had entered. He looked straight at Carol. "Okay then Petal?" he said. His eyes welled up with emotion before sweeping Carol up in his arms. "I thought we'd lost you for good" he said.

"I'm made of sterner stuff than that" said Carol. "You don't get rid of me that easily."

Richard placed carol back on her feet before speaking again. "However, I have a bone to pick with you" he said. "What's all this about me not being able to keep a secret?"

"Come on Richard, you know it's true" said Janice. "You can't even keep your own water!"

"Is that a fact" said Richard, genuinely hurt. "I'm surprised at you both. Not these people here" he said referring to the others, "but you two? You're supposed to be my sisters! Well I'll show you how well I can keep a secret!" And with that, he reached behind Janice's left ear and produced a small frog. Janice recoiled in surprise. Richard then cupped his hands over the frog and threw it into the air, but instead of the frog, released a handful of confetti.

"Great" said Janice, accompanying her comment with some slow hand clapping. "Paul Daniels must be crapping himself! What do you do for an encore?"

"Come over here and I'll show you" said Richard, making his way towards the telepathy table and sitting down. The others followed him. He hesitated before speaking. "I've kept this quiet all my life. Never told a soul." He turned to John. "Do you have a pen chief?" John took a pen from his shirt pocket and handed it to Richard, who placed it on the table. "To be honest, I don't really know how I do this. All I know is that all the little magic tricks I've done, all the party pieces, they're all done this way. Not sleight of hand or anything like that." Richard placed his hand about six inches above the pen, which began to spin."

"Hey! How're you doing that" said Ed, half knowing the answer.

"I' don't really know" said Richard. "I think it's some kind of mental manipulation. All I have to do is concentrate on the pencil."

Janice looked both shocked and annoyed. "Well this just tales the biscuit" said Janice, addresing both her siblings in turn. "It's not bloody fair! Just not bloody fair!"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"I don't wish to hurry you, Dr Owens, but I do have a schedule to keep" said the registrar.

Alan turned to the prison officer. "Couldn't you turn this psionic damper off just for today?" he said. "I'd just like to know she's all right. It's not like she's going to escape. Not today."

The prison officer held the communication device against his forehead, and after a brief moment, spoke. "She's just arrived, Dr Owens."

"About time too" said Alan. "I'd just like you to know how much I appreciate this – you standing for me like this."

"Think nothing of it" said the prison officer. The prison officer again raised the communication device to his forehead before signalling the registrar, who in turn signalled the usher to open the door.

Through the door stepped Carol, dressed in a long white wedding dress, and aside from another prison officer, was accompanied by her only living relative in this time stream, her nephew Lyndon, whose proud honour it was to give her away, and her bridesmaid Bethany-Christine.

Alan looked over his shoulder once at Carol, then turned to the prison officer. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Tim" said the prison officer.

"You know something about her, Tim?" said Alan almost under his breath. "She's like the dog's tail. Always behind!"


End file.
